Call of the Wild
by RedSparkFIM
Summary: "Do you know what it is to go to a place full of your nightmares? Especially when that place is filled with animals and I get turned into one of them for some unkown reason..." Michael hates animals, and when he is thrown into a world of anthropomorphic animals and humans are nonexistent, he'll need to get over his own fears in order to go back home.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first zootopia fanfic ever, hope you guys like it! I had this need to write something zootopia related and well, I finally did. A big shoutout to _EmPro8_ for helping me with the story idea. I would not have been able to come up with it had he not given me a very good idea.**

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Chapter 1

"What just happened?"

I've never been someone to like animals. To state is as simple as possible, I just don't. Things in life just gave me every single day more reason to prefer living with only humans. Like the time in which a friend's dong bit my nose over in kindergarten, or the time a cat scratched my hand and left me with a very bothersome scar that looks as if it was the result of some epic fight but was really just my grandma's cat…

Okay, scratch the last one, I like telling the tale of how I survived an evil beast and lived to tell. The real experience wasn't pretty at all though.

So yeah, and this are just a few.

Wait, did I mention I was allergic as well? I tend to get all this need to scratch my body every time I'm around animals. I need to be far, or the animal needs to be super clean. It's bothersome, really annoying.

I tried my best to like them, I really did. My mom is a vet and my dad has pet stores all around the country. You'd normally think I'd love animals! Well, I don't. I find them bothersome, distractive, and extremely unnecessary. Like, really, why would you pay so much in food for one? Don't get me wrong, I live out of that (remember my dad sells that sorts of things), I just won't. I literally see how I could have bought a new Xbox instead of all those food bags for my mom's animals. I also get these panic attacks whenever there's and animal I don't know or that is wild. I start to hyperventilate and I lose control of my actions, tending to do some pretty embarrassing stuff. I shiver every time I remember an incident at school with those panic attacks...

Then, there's the son responsability.

What is that, you may ask? Well, I'll gladly answer. It is some term my parents invented once they were entirely certain I would never willingly do stuff with animals, and that is to help my mom the vet. Sounds fun, but remember who I am. They make me go even though I hate it with all my being.

So every evening, I needed to go from school over to where my mom worked and help her on every single thing. Be it attending a customer or cleaning a pet. Everything. I've even been present in operations by my mom, and boy were they something. Let's just say I am not one up for anything in the field of medicine, animal or human.

Wait, I feel like I forgot something…

Ohhhhh! Right! My name! How could I forget that? No, this won't do. You all need to know who I am; this is, after all, my story.

My name is Michael West. Son of Rachel and Stephen West.

I'm an average High school senior, I suppose. I have this dream of becoming a musician and I'm currently stressing myself with preparing for auditions and all that stuff. I'm not going into detail, but there is nothing I want more in this world than making a soundtrack for a hollywood film. My grades are average, I don't really want to spend my life under a desk working on something that's got to do with numbers, or science, or anything at all that's not music.

This is me in a nutshell. Of course I could go rambling about my personal life, my young days, things that don't really matter now that I think about it. No, you guys came to read this because I have something else to tell you…

It all began in a hot and sunny evening, the likes of which I tend to prefer being in my room or with my friends playing basketball. My mom was attending clients and I was trying not to stare at any of the animals. I had been attending to the animals that I _really loved_ , and cleaning after them and all those things that made me want to get out of there. Every time I had to touch one of them, I couldn't help but cringe a little and fear that my allergy would show up, some part of me wanting to run from them. I honestly couldn't help but wonder, even though I know my mother needed help with it, why she made me go through all that torment knowing how bad it was for me.

I had finally finished the chores and managed to sit down. I had my earphones on and music at a dangerous volume that are hazardous for my hearing (and yet I still do because then where's the fun in listening to music?). My hands were imitating very faintly the movements of an orchestra conductor, playing Beethoven's fifth symphony. I generally go more for Tchaikovsky, but Beethoven was really good and I like most classical music.

I was so lost in my own little world of music that I did not hear my mother calling out for me. As I was about to enter into an amazing part of the piece, I felt a slap in the head. I almost jumped in the air out of surprise, but instead took off my earphones, not without making an appropriate reaction.

"Ouch!" I exclaimed. I looked back and saw my mother looking at me with the glare that tells you that you're in problems. "What was that for?!" I exclaimed, sounding offended. My mom generally allowed me to do what I was doing then, so I was genuinely surprised.

She sighed and crossed her arms. "You know, I was calling for you." I groan.

"Come on mom, can't I finish this piece please, It's almost over!"

She shook her head. "No! Now you listen to me!" she exclaimed. I cringed a little. She was usually this happy woman that never got angry. Actually watching her go full angry mom on me was something I rarely got to see, and every time I did I wished I didn't. "You can't just keep ignoring your surroundings with your music. I know what you want to do, but that doesn't give you the right to ignore your mother."

"It's just gonna be something again about the animals, and you know well enough how I feel about them." I pointed that out matter-of-factly. She knew it, and I've made that point clear throughout my childhood.

"You know, you can't keep that problem of yours forever. Whatever problem you have, you need to grow up."

That was quickly making me angry. I hated to hear her try and sermon me about animals and how I should love them. "Grow up?" I said angrily. "I am already grown up for that, and you telling me to like them isn't changing a thing." I kicked a cage to prove my point. The dog inside whimpered and then started barking at me. My mother turned her face down in shock, quickly advancing at me and holding my wrist angrily.

"Why did you do that!?" she said angrily. I simply kicked it again.

"They're just dumb animals, mom! You care too much for them, and since I was a kid you cared more for them than for me!" I quickly shoved my hand, making her unhand me. She stared at me unable to say something.

She looked confused and then sad. "That's not true. I love you more than you think," she said slowly.

I groaned. "Whatever…" Turning around, I made for the door.

"Where do you think you're going?!" she exclaimed at my back. I simply shrugged and got to the door, opening it and turning my head slightly towards her.

"Home, I had enough animals for a lifetime."

I quickly closed the door before she could say anything else.

I finally reached my house. It was a normal one story house, with a small U.S. flag in the porch. Making my way to the door, I took out the keys and unlocked the door.

Just as I opened it, I noticed a squirrel staring intently at me a few feet away.

I cringed a little, feeling again a little fear. I stared at it neutrally and simply entered and closed the door behind me.

This things tended to happen; animals had that effect on me.

The moment I entered I felt something was off. I could somehow feel it in the back of my mind. Something was making me feel goosebumps, and I didn't like it.

Choosing to ignore the feelings, I instead opted to go into my room and open my laptop. The nice sound of the internal fan made me smile. I had the whole evening for myself.

I knew perfectly well how my mother was going to be once she was back at the house, and then my father would support her on everything do both of them would again tell me something about how I couldn't keep feeling wrong around animals.

I sighed and opened League of Legends. Immediately the screen opened up and I looked to see if any of my friends were connected. That's when I noticed the squirrel.

I stared in shock as the animal made its way up my table and onto my keyboard. The animal was standing barely a feet away from me, and I couldn't help but to feel frozen.

Squirrels carried tons of diseases, or so I was told.

I waited to see what the animal would do. How'd it get inside either way? I made sure the door was closed!

Suddenly, the animal jumped at me. More specifically, at my face. I screamed in utter horror as I felt its tiny claws against me. I jumped, but miscalculated and ended up hitting my legs against the table. I lost balance only to fall backwards.

The animal kept trying to bite me, and I was lost in fear. I know, It was just a squirrel, but even then I still have panic over most animals, especially those that aren't domesticated.

I opted for standing up and running out of the house. Before the animal managed to catch up to me, I was out and with the door closed. I stood there, unsure of what to do. That's when I noticed a bird looking at me. Then another one landed beside it. Then another squirrel, followed by other two. Then a dog, then I was surprised to see a deer, then two deer, then three deer. I was seriously breaking down at this point. My mind couldn't understand what was happening, and my fear of animals had taken over, making it impossible for me to do anything rational. In a desperate move to get myself away from those devils, I ran as fast as I could towards a forest that was behind my house. I looked back and saw as the animals ran behind me.

I shouldn't have looked back, for as I focused again up front I failed to see a root that stood above the ground. Also, being right on the verge of the worst panic attack was making my feet feel like jelly and it was something I couldn't have stopped.

I saw as the world spinned and then a terrible pain on my head. Then darkness.

And my parents still asked me why I hated animals...

I groaned, feeling my head throb. My heart was racing faster than ever before, and that was something. I immediately recalled what had just happened and felt a panic attack coming. I immediately felt my breathing turn fast and my heart accelerating even more. I started panting and immediately opened my eyes. A blue sky greeted my sight, along with trees around me. It was getting late by how the light looked, probably late evening, almost night. I moved my hands to clutch my chest, and feel my heartbeat...

Wait, that felt wrong…

My hands touched my chest, and I felt the weirdest things ever.

Fur…

My hands weren't even feeling okay either. They seemed weird, my fingers moving in a rather strange way. Then add the lack of feeling one of my fingers that should be there no be there.

Wait, what?!

I started shaking. My panic attack was getting worse by the second. I had this urge to scratch my whole body from head to toes from allergy. In my head nothing happened except the feeling of fear and desperation, my breathing turning short as I started panting.

Slowly, I moved my right hand towards my face. My eyes made contact with it, widening and making me feel dizzy.

Paws, I had freaking orange and black paws!

I immediately regretter my decision of looking at my ha… paws… I felt short of breath, my vision turned blurry. I felt close to blacking out, and I eventually did.

For the second time, my world turned black.

...great.

I eventually woke up, only that this time it was night. I slowly opened my eyes and stretched. I had actually been lying down in a very uncomfortable position, and even under my current weird predicament I needed to stretch. I felt with pleasure as my bones cracked and went to their right places, the nice snap of a good old stretch. My arms fell back limply to my sides, as well as my legs. I stayed there, staring at a clear night sky. It was filled with thousands of stars, almost no light pollution; that allowed me to calm myself.

In the end I stood up. I immediately noticed the weird way my legs felt, as well as how my balance seemed… much, much better. That was a reassuring thought.

That's when I noticed the tail.

I got a little scared, but since my initial shock was kind of gone I didn't have another panic attack. Thank God. My tail was brownish orange, very fluffy. I slowly reached for it and touched it with my left ha… urrr, paw… It felt really fluffy. The thought made me smile for some weird reason. I'd just called my tail fluffy. Also, I had a tail. I think I'm going mad.

I looked around. Somehow, everything seemed more… more alive. The crickets song felt very nice against my ears (which twitched around trying to catch every single freaking sound. That feels weird too!). I touched my ears and felt the pointy things animals tended to have. I then proceeded to touch my muzzle. I then looked around, unsure of what to do next.

Okay, I was already fine with my current physical condition. Not okay, just fine. No panic attacks were coming from that soon. I had a long, fluffy tail, two pointy ears and I was a combination of orange and black; mostly orange though.

I knew what I was.

I immediately moved my furry fox paws and began walking. I needed help, or something along the lines of that. That's when I realized something else.

I was naked.

I mentally slapped myself and groaned. How could my day get any worse. I was out in the wild, turned an animal, straight up naked. I know animals aren't supposed to wear clothes, but I wasn't an animal. I can't go around naked!

Priority number 1: find clothes, no matter how, just find them.

I scanned my surrounding again, maybe a hint of what could help me was around. My eyes immediately spotted a faint light in the distance. A wooden cabin.

Also good night vision. Yay! I'll have to give points to this body for that.

I approached the cabin. It was surrounded by a field of really tall grass, so approaching slowly and hidden was fairly simple and easy. The grass brushed against my new tail, tickling me a little. I had to take a point in that, I was ticklish there.

Finally reaching my destination, I proceeded to lie down on the grass beside the back of the house. I needed to see if any of the inhabitants came out, so maybe I could ask for help or know that I was hopeless and lost.

I looked at the house. It was bigger than I had thought, two stories high and a large chimney blowing up smoke towards the sky. The light inside made my eyes a little unfocused for a second, having gotten used to the moon light. I stared inside and opened my mouth wide at what I saw.

A family of pigs, eating around a table, dressed in clothes and looking like your standard twentieth-century family. Have I mentioned I'm going crazy?

Just then, one of the pigs that looked like the kid of the family went for the back door and opened it. He left the house and towards the back. I slowly and silently followed him within the tall grass, never letting my eyes off him. This reminded me a lot about those documentaries of a predator stalking his prey. Only that this time, they were sentient pigs and I was a sentient predator. That immediately ruled out getting him in that way. I was also heavily disgusted by that thought I just had. Seriously brain? I wanted it to quit thinking all that horrible stuff.

The pig suddenly seemed to get on alert. His head looked clumsily back and forth, as if sensing something was wrong. I crouched even more against the dirt, the grass covering my fully. I managed to keep watching him, my eyes scanning his every move. There was some sort of thrill to this, and it was exciting. Still, I controlled myself from doing something I'd regret.

The pig seemed to calm down and started tending to something. I shifted a little and managed to get a better view now that I didn't need to worry about him being on guard. The pig was looking at some clothes hanging outside, taking some with him before heading back inside. I shifted a little and accidentaly made the grass move more than what I wanted, causing the pig to stop right by the door. It's head turned around and scanned the grass. I didn't dare move a muscle, at least not unless it spotted me.

It seemed to shrug it off and finally went inside. I allowed a large amount of air inside, as I had been holding my breath. Good luck pig eyesight was not really good at night, or else I'd be in trouble. I mean, It had clothes for a start, and I was naked. I think that would've caused a very awkward situation. Also the fact that I was stalking the animal, I'd get a heart attack.

Wait, I'd stalk it… Without having a heart attack myself! I mentally cheered. Maybe I'd get over this panic on animals after all.

Okay, back to setting my priorities. I needed clothes. Immediately, my sight fell upon some pants and a shirt.

Should I? I mean, that'd be stealing and stealing is something I'd never done before. It would be bad for my own moral to do so. Still, It was night and I was naked without any means of getting clothing any time soon.

I groaned and proceeded to enter the backyard where the clothes hung on ropes all around. The family was again seated at the table, completely oblivious of my current position. Still, they needed to just turn a little their heads and they'd see a fox taking their clothes. I needed to be fast and silent.

Good thing I seemed to be a natural at it.

I quickly spotted some that would fit me the best. I mean, not trying to be judgemental or anything but those pigs were very fat, even the small ones. So, naturally the clothes were pretty big for a skinny animal such as what I was at the moment.

I managed to take the clothes and see if they fit before heading towards the grass once again. All had gone much more smoothly than what I'd expected…

"Mommy, mommy! Look, a fox is taking our clothes!"

Well, shhhhhh… Nope, no cursing. I don't do that ever.

I immediately jumped into the grass, practically disappearing from their sight. I quickly ran through the tall grass, listening to everything around me. I oculd feel my heart beating as fast as it could as my panic returned. They had seen me, and they probably were chasing me down…

"Stop right there thief!" the sound of a more grown up, mature being reached my ears. I turned around and saw the grass moving behind me. They were really chasing me! In the middle of the night! And a fox!

Wait, I was a fox. That meant I was fast, right?

I quickly stopped and put on the clothes. They were more of a burden in my arms than if I put them on. As I had imagined, they fit me a little too loose, but in the end they weren't that bad.

Then, the pig jumped on me.

"Gotcha!" it squealed. I immediately scampered onto my feet. The pig had my tail on it's hooves thingy. I've never known what pigs had. Never bothered to think of that before. Still, it had a really hard hold on it and it hurt! I was almost in shock now, my panic attack on the verge of exploding. My breathing was as fast as one's body could without dying. The pig had the most ugly smirk on his face, like the ones I see in horror movies. "You're coming with me and I'll get the cops!" I reflexively kicked him without thinking. He cried out in pain as my hindpaws knocked the air out of him. Releasing me, I managed to control myself and then run away. "You'll not get away!" it exclaimed. I felt as my mind turned blank in fear. No! Please no panic attack now, please! I really couldn't have that this moment! Can't it wait before I'm safe and can feel horrible without a pig screaming for my blood?

I couldn't help but have this rather random thought: I was really small, too small for a fox compared with a pig at least. I immediately shove that thought into the _think later_ part of my mind. Run now, think later.

As I ran, I noticed as the pig's shouts came more faint by each second. Also, the threats were getting much more scary.

"You stop or I'll call the police!"

"I'll catch you and then I'll show you what we do to thieves like you!"

"Stop or I'll personally make your life hell!"

"I'll kill you!"

And so, his words were lost in the wind. I'd reached the end of the grass, and a rather dark forest. I looked back and saw the wooden house far behind. My eyes managed to see the pig running around, probably still cursing me and saying some rather disturbing things. Come on, what if his kids heard what he said?

I sighed in relief and felt my heart calming down. My breathing was very labored, but at least everything seemed fine so far.

I proceeded to enter the forest. I needed to find someplace where I could spend the night, and I just had the best idea.

I spotted a rather tall tree and then proceeded to climb it. As I did so, I felt a rather interesting thing in my paws as they instinctively revealed claws. I stared at them as I was preparing to climb. I had cool looking freaking claws!

Another point for this body. I may hate animals, but I was getting rather fond of all this cool things. Night eyesight? Superhero hearing? Claws? How awesome was that?

It took me a good ten minutes before I managed to reach the top. By then, I was extremely exhausted, and really needed to sleep. Still, I gave myself some time to scan my surroundings. After all, this was one of the tallest trees around, giving me a rather nice view of everything around me.

The pigs' house was in the distance a dot of light. I could even swear I heard curses still going on inside the field where the pig was probably still looking for me. Right on the other side, I spotted something that left my mouth wide open and wondering just where I really was.

A city took up the whole horizon. It had titanic buildings and I could see helicopters going around, as well as a few airplanes flying to and from the city. I was now wondering how I'd survive this. If I was really in a world of animals, I'd probably end up dying from a heart attack during a panic attack or something. If my allergy didn't kill me first, that is.

Wait, my allergy…

I remember that upon waking up I felt the urge to scratch myself, probably due to the fact that I was and animal. Now I didn't feel anything. That was a relieving thought.

I proceeded to look to another side and spotted a few lights far off. Probably just a town. I sighed. I'd rather go to some town than to a city full of my worst nightmares. It'd also probably help me see how I can go over my panic attacks, and maybe even don't mind about that at all.

So, with a goal in mind and a tired and body, I proceeded to lay down on a large branch. I made sure that I'd not fall, or else I'm pretty sure I'd die. I didn't want to die from falling off a tree. Imagine when people tell your life they'd say _"and then he fell off a tree and died"_. Nope! I needed a better story.

I closed my eyes and quickly went into peaceful slumber.

Tomorrow I was going to go to that town, and then I'd see really how screwed I was...

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 **So, let me know what you guys think! I hope it's good and you all like it. Again, thanks to _EmPro8_** **for his help. You should check out his stuff. it's really good! Also, reviews are welcome!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's chapter two! I actually took this and the first one with very little time in between. I may be able to, but school and getting ready for college admissions take tons of my time. Still, hope you guys enjoy this chapter and I hope I can get one out soon!**

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Chapter 2

"This will take time getting used to…"

I woke to the sound of wind.

Also the feeling of vertigo you get when you're falling to your death from a rather tall tree. I think we all have had that experience...

No, okay. I'd get it if you didn't. Then again, my life is full of weird things as of late.

The ground was approaching me, fast. I immediately did something without thinking. My paws extended and I managed to grab hold of a large branch, but then failed to hold it and fell again. I'd slowed down, though. I then landed hard against my stomach against other branch. I cried out and a funny dog-kind-of whimper came out of my mouth as pain erupted around my body, but managed to hold on. My claws had come out and were now helping me so that I didn't fall again. I managed to pull myself completely on the branch and then proceeded to lean against the tree trunk. My body ached all over, and I'd be surprised if I hadn't broken any bone.

" _Died by falling off a tree…"_

Wow, talk about feeling a failure.

Now that would have been depressing, and think I had that thought before sleeping on the tree. Still, I didn't feel as bad I would have should a bone be broken, so everything okay so far. The idea of dying from a fall, as an animal and in a strange world didn't seem a good prospect at all.

That didn't take out the fact that It hurt like hell!

I sighed and face palmed. Great Michael, of course sleeping on top of a tree was a bad idea. How could I have done that stupidity? My head was still spinning as I finally regained my full conscience. So far, I think I had been acting on instinct or something, because I'm fairly certain normal me wouldn't be able to survive from a fall at all. I needed to give another point to this body, definitely made to survive I suppose.

I clutched my chest and felt my ribs. It did hurt a lot, but nothing too unbearable. I was really lucky. I could have broken a rib or punctured a lung. Then I'd be in very deep trouble.

Well, that was it and I was done with trees. That meant that I immediately climbed down as carefully as I could. My paws got a better hold thanks to my awesome claws, causing little scratch marks as I descended the tree trunk. I felt so amazing, for some reason. Climbing down a tree, like in a movie; I really felt like in one at the moment.

Of course, being the clumsy being I tended to be I fell the last three meters and thanks to that I couldn't sit down the rest of the day without feeling hurt. Again, thanks the surprising resistance of my bones. Or just plain luck.

Standing up and groaning a little at the strain, I stretched below the tree feeling my bones pop and causing me to smile a little. At least I was alive and rested, if not a little shaken up by what had just happened. In my mind I kept replaying a pretty nasty scene of a small fox stamped to the ground…

Eugh…Yep, I definitely don't want that.

I looked around and sighed. I guess it was time to walk, and a lot. I planned on reaching that town by midday, although I wasn't sure about the time here. I could see the sun was still rising, so I had a lot of time to do so. Then, once I got there I needed a plan as well. I guess that I could come up with one once I reached there.

My stomach protested.

I guess I need to set up a new priority now that clothing is done. Food is very important now, and I could feel my body protest at the lack of food it had had in this place so far.

Wait, what did foxes eat?

I mean, they're predators, I know they hunt. The thing is, I can't hunt here. I mean, the animals could all be sentient! How was I supposed to know what I could eat if natural food proved to be something I couldn't eat? Maybe I could eat fruit, but then that could be bad for me. Why was the information I really didn't care for back at my old body now seemed so important? I was regretting not watching those hundreds of documentaries back home. My parents would probably be laughing at my predicament and a _told you so_ was probably the best bet of an answer they'd give to me.

Ugh, more complications for me. Too much weird thinking. I hate my life so much right now.

I opted to get going. In case I found something along the road to eat, or once I reached the town; I was sure I was bound to find something to eat sooner or later. I mean, I did find the clothing relatively fast! I know I stole it, but I had no other choice. Maybe I could try the same with food…

No! I couldn't steal more! Then probably I'd have more problems with the inhabitants, and a bad reputation. Not that I cared for my reputation, I just don't want animals looking for me. I still have this panic thing, remember? Panic thing is bad, stealing makes me panic, which makes stealing bad for me.

I started moving. Hopefully I wasn't going to be that tired or hungry by the time I got there!

Ugh! Why!

Why did I think I wasn't going to be tired! My mind was dead, my body felt dead and my stomach growled angrily at me to feed it. I felt totally miserable, and I really wanted to give up. Still, I had just left the forest behind and have reached a large grass field. Really large. The town was surrounded by it, of course with the exception of the crops growing around as well. This town was clearly a farming town, and it looked pretty much just like one street, western movie style.

I spotted a sign that said the usual. _Welcome to Bunnyburrow, population…_

Woah, now that was something. The numbers just kept going up without stopping. I would have chuckled at it, but I was too tired to do much more than smile slightly. At least I'd made it.

I spotted the train station. May as very well start there.

I walked over to it and looked around. Since there was no train, the station was almost empty except for a lone bunny sitting in a bench, waiting. I considered talking to it, but reconsidered. What if it got scared of me? What if I wasn't supposed to be there? What if it attacked me and killed me?

Panic again, no! Please, just let me have one day in peace!

I was about to faint again when I heard a rough and old voice speak.

"Is everything okay son?" the bunny said, looking worried. "You look pale, and being able to tell that through your fur is alarming."

I would have cried there at the closeness I was sharing with the animal, but somehow I managed not to. Still, I started to hyperventilate. Not a good sign, not a good sign at all. My mind turned blank in desperation. Why! I felt so wrong whenever that happened to me!

The bunny rushed and me, causing me to flinch. He moved limply yet with a strange grace and helped me to the ground so that I didn't just fall straight down. My feet could no longer hold me for some reason, which was probably great help. I started seeing dark spots, my thoughts turning blurry and an intense head throb making me lose concentration.

"Hey!" he said to me. "Calm down! Nothing is going to happen." I looked at him.

Somehow, his voice was working. His soft and caring voice cause me to feel slightly less panicked, which helped me to slow down my breathing and my heart. I closed my eyes. Maybe if I didn't saw the bunny it would be better.

The bunny seemed to move, my ears picking it all and showing me a rather surprising and awesome picture in my mind. Wow… That was an even more relaxing thought. Maybe I wouldn't even need to look at any animals anymore and stay with my eyes closed!

Okay, bad idea. Still, you can't blame me for thinking in desperation.

"Are you okay?" he said slowly once it was clear I wasn't as bad.

I nodded. "Yeah, thank you." I was calm now, or as close as almost fainting from a panic attack went. My eyes opened up slowly and I saw the bunny staring right at me. I immediately began feeling terrible again, but the bunny raised his paws and made a gesture of breathing in and out.

"No! Don't panic, come on, everything's fine!" I tried to control my breath.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," I repeated myself over and over again, before finally convincing myself. The bunny looked worried.

"Are you sure? We could look for a doctor."

I shook my head. "No, thank you. I just tend to have this panic attacks whenever I see an ani… eh, a stranger." The bunny made a face that showed he now understood, although it was obvious he was still worried. "I try to control it and sometimes it works, but I guess it's not as easy as I thought."

The bunny nodded. "Yeah, well, I'm glad you're alright. I guess I'm gonna go sit back down again. I'm waiting for a train to the city."

I looked at him curiously. "The city? The one with the gigantic buildings?"

He chuckled and nodded. "That's the one. Zootopia." Just then, a train arrived. The bunny extended his paw at me. "Nice meeting you."

I extended my own to make him a hand… a, a pawshake. As our paws made contact I felt the urge to run away. I managed to control it, but probably the bunny noticed because he ended the pawshake rather quickly. He then went inside the train and I lost sight of him.

"Nice meeting you to," I said slowly, knowing he was gone.

Wait…

That's how I sounded? Weird. I could swear my voice was deeper. Maybe it had relation with being an animal, I suppose. Still, I couldn't shake off a weird feeling that something was not right, I just couldn't put my mind into what it was...

Regardless, the bunny was a very nice first impression for a change. Different than the pig... He still sent shivers down my spine. That had been creepy as hell. I mean, I did steal them clothing, but his words were definitely something I would have liked to never listen to.

As the train sped off, I was left alone again, unsure of what to do next.

I stood up and looked around in case another animal was around. I guess that since I already had a panic attack, then another was going to be more unlikely to happen. I may as well just get it over with.

My legs shaking, I started walking towards the street. I guess the world just wanted to make me suffer more than anything, cause the second I went outside of the station, I saw my worst nightmare.

Animals. Lots and lots of animals.

I had expected bunnies, but now I could see a greater variety of them walking on two legs. A large lion was speaking animatedly just a few meters away from me with a rabbit, their conversation going around selling carrots. Close by I spotted a koala walking around with a basket of fruit on his arms. Near him, some mice were speaking between each other.

My stomach protested again.

Okay, stop looking around. I needed to find something to eat fast.

The sun clearly indicated that it was still early evening, so I had time to look for food. Still, I was really hungry. My eyes scanned around and spotted a few restaurants, mostly run by rabbits it seemed. I also spotted an ice cream shop and a pie shop at the very end of the main street. There were also clothing stores and others you usually expect in small towns.

Now, I had an idea and that was to find a job. I needed to eat after all, and stealing was in the bottom of my options.

I decided to look at the stores in case I found one with a position open.

As I began to walk, my world began to spin a little. My panic felt contained, but it was obvious I was barely managing. Also, the fact that most animals seemed to be walking on the other side of the street was helpful. When an animal passed beside me, I simply felt my ears fall against my skull involuntarily and my legs shake even more. This was going to be much harder than I thought.

I finally spotted a restaurant asking for a waiter. I entered and walked to one of the waitresses with the sign on my paws. She was a rabbit, looking around anxiously.

"May I help you?" she said once she spotted me. Something in her voice made me cringe a little. I don't know if it was also the way she looked at me that I couldn't quite understand, or the fact that she was an animal talking to me, the guy that had panic attacks for just that kind of thing.

I gulped. "Y-yes. I… I am looking for a job and tho-thought that may-maybe you could…"

The waitress rose her paws and shook her head. "Sorry fox, I'm afraid that we don't need any new paws around for now."

"B-but the sign says…" I began.

"I know what the sign says," she said annoyed. "We just forgot to take it off the door once the position was filled." My ears dropped. She sighed. "And aren't you too young to be asking for a job?" she said suspiciously. Now my ears rose and confusion filled my mind.

"What do you mean?" I managed to speak without problem, maybe because I was genuinely confused.

The rabbit sighed. "Just, forget it. Hop along. I need to attend the customers." And so she did, leaving me confused and unsure. I groaned and left the establishment. As I walked away I heard the door of the restaurant open, and I don't know why I turned, but I wish I hadn't. The rabbit seemed to be looking around, and then proceeded to place the sign of help wanted back on the door.

A mixture of feelings assaulted my being; confusion, sadness, rejection, relief… I wasn't sure what to feel. Still, I was confused by what she had said inside.

I sighed and kept walking. I needed food, and I needed money for that. That meant I needed to get a job, so focus!

After looking around I finally spotted another place. This time it was a donut shop. I smiled. Imagine working there. Donuts all around! I know I'd not be able to eat them, but that doesn't mean it wouldn't be enjoyable either.

With a smile on my face and my panic attack worry in the back of my mind, I proceeded to take the sign as I had done for the restaurant and go inside…

Ten times.

Ten freaking times, and still no single animal had the decency to say a straight up no. I suffered a panic attack once during the day, and it was because a lion decided that pushing me was a good idea. Imagine being pushed by the greatest predator, and then imagine being me. Yeah, that bad. I felt down as I'd never felt before, and it was night already. Every store was closing and every animal going to their homes. I was left behind, my stomach growling in anger and suffering for the lack of food provided during the day. My feet… paws hurt, my forepaws hurt, my head hurt, my stomach hurt… Every part of me hurt!

I sat down on the sidewalk, unsure of what to do next. My mind was tired and I needed sleep, but I really wanted something to eat. It was also getting very cold by the minute. It hadn't felt like that the night before, but somehow today seemed a lot cooler.

I shivered and hugged myself, my tail reflexively wrapping around me legs. Wow, talk about instinctive actions. That tail sure was warm.

My stomach growled again.

Okay, you know what? This required drastic measures.

I stood up and looked around before proceeded to go to a side street that looked to the sides of a restaurant and the pie shop. I was going to eat something one way or another, and nobody was going to stop me.

Looking around, I spotted the back door of the restaurant. My fox eyesight and hearing allowed me to sense if somebody was nearby, which at the moment there was no one. Once I was sure I wouldn't get caught, I proceeded to go for the back door. Maybe they had left it open by accident.

My paws shook the handle but it didn't move. Obviously locked, I sighed and looked around the building for any way in. There had to be someplace where I could simply go inside…

Just then my hearing picked up something. A whistling. My ears stood alert and I got ready to run. I looked toward the source of the whistle and spotted a light inside the pie shop. There was a large van stopping me from seeing who was whistling, but it was obvious he was from the pie shop. I look at the restaurant and then at the truck.

Okay, more risky but probably easier in some sense.

I proceeded to approach the van. I could make out the name of the store printed around the van, as well a large pie logo.

"Gideon Grey's..." I muttered. Huh, I guess using your own name is easy to name your shop.

I listened until the whistling got back inside the store. I then proceeded to round the truck and immediately my eyes opened wide as I saw piles of pies lying around, ready to be loaded into the truck. My stomach growled as I stared in happiness at this treasure I had just found.

Just then, I heard the owner approach.

Ah! Why did I distract myself like that! I couldn't get caught, or even spotted! I needed to hide, and fast. I looked inside the truck and cringed a little. I could hide inside, hope his vision was bad and he wouldn't see me. Then again, if he did I'd be trapped; nowhere to run meant the animal would surely get me, and I'd die from a panic attack then and there. That was a very worrying thought.

I groaned inside and jumped on the truck, hiding behind a metal stand. The whistling was now right outside the car, my ears giving me the exact image I needed to see. Oh how I loved my ears. Then I head the animal start loading things.

Shhhhhhiiiiii… Nope, still not saying that. I wanted to, though.

I closed my eyes and waited for the worst. My mind had the picture (thank you, super hearing!) of how the animal entered. It seemed to stop for a second before leaving the crate and going off. He had stop the whistling, which made me harder to know where he was. Still, I was pretty sure he was back inside his store.

I slowly opened my eyes and stared around. Making my way out, I looked around and didn't see any animal around. Good.

So, now that he's gone and without further ado… Pies!

I immediately grabbed two and was ready to run before I stopped. No, I couldn't take two. I mean, I was hungry enough to eat two, but still I needed to keep some of my own morals. I wasn't going to take two, at least not now.

I slowly placed the pies back where it was before, before turning around and breaking into a run. Now I had something to eat. Hopefully, it was going to be good for my stomach…

It took me some time to finally reach someplace I thought was good enough to spend the night. It was under a bridge, and the wind seemed to be diverted by some foliage around so I wouldn't worry about being as cold as I would someplace else.

I stared at the pie on my paws and smiled before feeling my ears drop. I had stolen this from probably an honest worker who was trying to make a living. That made me feel very guilty. I then felt all the pressure from that day land on me like a brick. Then my current situation.

Probably due to the stress of that day I hadn't have the time to stop and think about what had happened. I was alone in a strange world, without any way of knowing what to do except instinct and nobody to turn to for help. I was probably being looked for by the police and I had already stolen a second thing.

Call my life anything you want, but you've got to admit it was pretty much screwed up.

I slowly allowed my body to rest against side of the bridge tunnel and slide down, feeling the rocks scratch my back. Tears filled my vision as I cried for the first time since this began. I cried for being alone, I cried for having to steal to get something to eat. I hated my life so much that moment!

I stared at the pie, which was still in my paws. I placed it on the ground and covered my head. I felt tears rolling down my face, causing me to hate myself for feeling like that. I wasn't supposed to be weak, but somehow the world had done it. I was hating my life, and it was horrible.

Wow, it felt bad to cry. I hadn't done that for a very long time. Still, it felt good to let it all out.

Just then I heard something very concerning. Footsteps. And they weren't on top of the bridge or far away. They were right in front of me. I felt a combination of fear and my current sad state meld together into a weird combination of feelings. I felt my eyes widen and proceeded to looked up slowly.

In front of me stood a fox.

I immediately got on my feet but missed an important fact: the side of the bridge tunnel was very low. So you can guess that the moment I stood up stars shone around me as I hit my head harder than ever before. Add the feeling of pain to my current list of mashed up feelings inside of me.

I cried in pain as my world turned black. Not immediately passed out, but something along the lines of it. I was on the floor, not knowing when I'd fallen. Probably a few seconds ago though. There was a horrible ringing sound on my ears and I couldn't make out any other sounds. I felt unfocused and very disoriented.

Then I felt a paw rest on my head. I moved my head slightly and saw the foxed, concern on his face, stroking my head. I normally would be in the worst panic attack so far, but due to my current situation I couldn't care less. He opened his muzzle and spoke, but I couldn't make out the words. Slowly, I felt my hearing return.

"...hard," I heard. I slowly groaned and he stroked my forehead.

"Don't hurt me…" I said slowly. The words tasted weird in my head. I had this metallic taste, probably from hitting my head AGAINST A FREAKING ROCK CEILING. My voice still sounded very weird, too high pitched for my liking.

The fox shook his head. "No, you ain't gotta worry at all. I'm not hurting ya," he said reassuringly. He had a very thick southern accent, which normally would have made me smile but my current situation stopped me from doing so.

He looked behind and saw the pie. He then looked back at me. I tried to seat down on my hindpaws, and managed with the help of the fox. My head felt as if the world was spinning, but I managed to focus on him. He sighed.

"Why did ya steal my pie?" he asked, sounding disappointed. Huh, weird. He really did sound disappointed.

I cringed a little though. He was the owner of the store? That wasn't good for me. I felt my ears drop and I looked down in shame.

"I am hungry…" I said in a whisper. The fox, having the same hearing as I did, easily picked that up and I could see surprise on his eyes.

He looked at the pie and took it, before passing it to me. "Go ahead, eat it." I looked at him surprised.

"You're not gonna call the cops?" I said worryingly. My head had cleared now, though it still hurt a lot. I was beginning to have my normal thoughts, although I could still feel the mix of feelings inside me. Also, panic attack was still there trying to come out. Yet somehow, the fox's presence seemed to ease my mind slowly. He didn't want anything bad with me, at least for now.

He shook his head. "No, why would I? I didn't lose my pie in the end." He smiled. "Eat it, go on."

I took it from his outstretched paw. He then took a fork from a jacket and passed it to me. I took it as well and then without any second to lose I proceeded to stuff the thing into my mouth.

Have I said I hate pies?

Well, after that I had to change my opinion immediately. I loved pies. The flavor was so rich and delicious that I simply opened my eyes wide and ate it fast. Soon, I was left with an empty platter on my paws and I think a rather silly smile on my face. I looked at the fox and saw him smiling.

Huh, I'd normally think this was creepy. Still, he had helped me and hadn't called the cops. He also allowed me to eat the pie. In my book, that means he's friendly.

We stayed there, watching each other in an awkward silence. He finally stood up and made a sign for me to follow him. I was unsure of what to do. Should I follow him? Maybe he was just going to take me to the police, or to some torture room or something…

Think about my mind right now. It was really confused. I was confused.

He had begun to walk towards his van, which was parked beside the road. He stopped and looked at me.

"You coming?" he asked.

I looked around, as if expecting any other animal to appear. I was unsure of everything at the moment. I really wanted this to be just a dream and that as soon as I went to sleep I'd wake up back at my house, with my mother and his annoying pets.

I stood up and followed him. He entered the van and I went to the passenger seat and hopped in. He looked at me and smiled before turning the key, the van coming to life. He began to drive. I looked outside and saw the fields replace the small town houses of Bunnyburrow.

The whole drive to his place was silent and very awkward, at least for me. I was regretting my decision to go with the strange fox. Don't get me wrong, he seemed nice and all, but after all I'd just met him, and I had stolen from him!

He finally made a turn out of the road and entered a small garden. He stopped the car and turned it off. I unbuckled and waited to see what the fox did.

He looked at me.

"Okay," he said. "I am going to trust you, but first I want ya to promise me that you won't try anything funny, at least not in my house." His serious tone cause me to flinch a little. I mean, I was still scared of animals. Panic attacks and all that stuff I hated and wished I didn't have were just waiting to jump the moment I allowed me guard to go down.

I nodded. "I promise." He smiled.

"Now, I'm gonna let you sleep in my house, but first I need to know you a little better." He extended his paw. "Name's Gideon Grey."

I shook his paw. "Michael West."

"Nice meeting you. What were you doing at night below a bridge after needing to steal a pie from a fellow fox?" he asked. He said that pretty lightheartedly, but it was obvious he wanted a real answer to the question. I sighed.

"I was looking someplace to stay tonight. Yesterday it hadn't been as cold, so I managed to sleep on a tree." I hoped he wouldn't go further into details. "Also, I didn't know you were a fox." He chuckled.

"Very well!" He then clasped his paws together and then opened the door. "Follow me inside. I'll show you to the guest room." He went outside. I quickly followed him. He opened the door to his house and we both went in.

The living room as fairly small, with only a couch and chairs. I could see the kitchen and the dining room. There were some stairs that very likely led to the bedrooms. He went upstairs, with me still following him. He led me to a room with a bed and a nightstand. Gesturing me to go inside, I did as he said. It seemed pretty spacious, although slightly smaller than my room back home. I sat down on the bed and immediately felt really good. Finally I was going to sleep in a good place whilst on this world!

He smiled. "Okay, here are the rules." That got my attention. "Breakfast is at 5." Probably seeing my troubled look, he quickly explained. "I need to go quick and get working, since most farmers are also out at that time and they like my deliveries done in the morning. Apart from that, enjoy yourself and make yourself at home."

I nodded and looked at the bed. He was about to close the door when I spoke up.

"Thank you," I said slowly. He stopped and looked at me. He nodded.

"My pleasure to help a fox in need. I know what it is to have a harsh life, just make yourself comfortable." He closed the door, leaving me alone in the room. I scanned the room fast before rapidly tucking myself inside the bed, the sheets covering me and making me smile and do a purr-like sound…

What?

Okay, sometimes instincts were useful, other just plain weird. This one was on the weird side.

My eyes felt heavy and I finally had my stomach full. This meant I had finished my priorities list. Hopefully, tomorrow I was going to be able to start thinking about the most important thing: How to get home.

With that thought in mind and as comfortable as I could get (my tail had wrapped again on its own around me as I laid curled up in a ball inside the sheets), I drifted into the realm of dreams, my hope of waking up back at my house lingering as my last thought...

* * *

 **Well, done! Let me know what you guys think, reviews are highly welcome! I hope I am good so far and you guys like where this is going. I'll try to get the next chapter soon!**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Hi! I'm so sorry! I should've gotten this chapter earlier and I apologize for the long time it took to get this one out. I kind of lost all my inspiration rather soon and only recently decided to continue with it. I hope you all forgive the delay and enjoy!**

Chapter 3

"Adapting… Horrible, just horrible"

I slowly felt my consciousness take over my dreams. My mind began to stir as I pulled the covers off, stretching my arms up in the air. Rays of light managed to peek through the window, showering the room with a very interesting shade of yellow. I struggled as I moved and sat on the side of the bed, my tail feeling sore from accidentally sleeping on it.

Great, another limb to worry about not sleeping on it.

I looked at my hands. Yep, they were still two furry things. I had to admit, as much as I hated animals, this was cool in some way. I felt as my ears stick to my skull as a knock on the door seemed to break the nice, enjoyable morning silence and make me jump in surprise.

"Breakfast's ready…" came the voice of the fox from yesterday. He sounded cautious, as if he could scare something away, which was very likely to happen since I was on the edge now.

I immediately answered. "Coming!"

"Come down when you're ready. Just don't take long," he said. I heard as his pawsteps went away and down the stairs.

I started to stand up when my nose smelled something weird. Where was it coming from? It wasn't an unpleasant odor, just weird on some sense. It smelled like…

It was me. I smelled dirty.

Great.

I slowly got off the bed and saw my clothes. I needed new ones, I also needed a shower, and breakfast definitely didn't sound bad at all. This was supported by my stomach as it growled, insistent on eating something, anything.

My paws felt the cool touch of the floor, making me wonder if animals here wore shoes. Could dwell long on that as my stomach pointed out that I should go downstairs. Standing up, I stretched and walked over to a window beside the bed. I opened the curtains and saw a pretty peaceful scenery outside, with the sun shining with a morning glow and the sound of birds filling the room as I opened the window and allowed fresh morning air inside. My fur moved with it as I closed my eyes and enjoyed the feeling of calmness. It felt strange as my tail felt the air cool it down from the warm mess of the bed sheets, making me smile at the relaxing feeling.

I finally closed the window and went to the door, going outside onto the hallway. Proceeding towards the kitchen, my nose was assaulted by the sweet smell of fish. It was very nice, and my enhanced fox-senses proved to be right as I looked into the kitchen and saw Gideon the fox sitting at the table with a fix on his plate, another plate resting on the other side of the table. I felt panic for a second as I saw the fox, but easily quelled it thinking how helpful he had been last night.

He saw me and smiled kindly.

"Good mornin'! I have fish for you. I supposed you might be on the mood for some since they help in filling the belly good!" he said cheerfully. That managed to crack me a smile.

"Morning," I said sleepily. I sat down heavily and darted devouring the fish in front of me. I barely noticed the in staring at me smiling.

He seemed to get more comfortable on his seat as he spoke. "Like it?" he asked me.

I nodded rapidly as I kept on eating. "Yes!" I said. "It's very good, thank you." He nodded.

"Yes, I got a reassurance that it was good. A favor from a friend I sell pies to," he said casually. I didn't stop eating. God, It was good.

Gideon waited patiently until I finished. Once I finished and pushed the plate forward, he picked it up and took it to the dishwasher.

"I'm going to go to the store in a few minutes. Wanna come?" he asked. his southern accent marking every word

I shrugged. "Sure, if there's no problem," I said. Even though I was feeling way more relaxed around him after the food he gave me, I still felt weird bein around animals that could talk. It was definitely weird and my panic didn't help at all…

He smiled. "It's no problem at all!" he said cheerfully while walking to the porch. "If you want to shower first there'd be no problem of course," he chuckled.

I immediately remember that I didn't smell like rose exactly, which cause me to chuckle nervously as I started fumbling with my fingers. "Uh, I, uh…" I mumble incoherently for a few seconds. "S-sure, if really appreciate that." Ah! This was not helpful.

He smiled and took a newspaper while opening the door to the porch. "I'll wait out here. Don't take long." He went outside and closed the door, leaving me alone inside…

A few minutes and more than a few attempts at cleaning myself, I came out of the door and into the porch, smelling way better than I had since arriving at this world. My fur felt very soft as well, and the light morning air made me shiver slightly. I was wearing new clothes too. Apparently, the fox had left a shirt and some jeans in the bathroom, clearly expecting me to wear them. Another weird and unexpected act of kindness from him…

Speaking of the devil, Gideon sat there drinking a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper. Before he spotted me and placed the paper on a little table in front of me, I managed to read the front part.

"Nighthowlers?" I asked. Gideon looked confused at first.

"Wa-what are you…" he looked at the paper and nodded. "Oh, those. You don't wanna know." He casually strolled past me. "Come, were are little late and I don't want to lose any potential clients!" he said cheerfully.

I looked back at the newspaper once again, and then followed the fox into his van.

It took us a good half and hour to reach the town. So he lived farther than I remembered, maybe due to me being tired, confused and unsure. Now that I was way more relaxed, I took in every single part of the scenery.

As he parked the van on the back side of the stored, I remember a little problem.

Animals. Animals lived in that town, and tons of them.

I silently cursed and followed Gideon out of the van. He opened the back door of it and looked at me.

"Could you come help me here, please?" he said. I nodded and helped him unload a few pie carts. I noticed he didn't just have blueberry pies, but also carrot, apple, strawberry and another one I didn't recognize. I also smiled at my enhanced senses. I could almost taste them through smell alone! Yes, this body was terrible considering seeing an animal could make me panic, but now that I was kind-of getting used to my own (in fact I hadn't have any real problems with my body after the start of my… what could I call it? Odyssey? Journey? Adventure?

As I stepped into the store behind the large fox, I could help but notice the incredible assault of smells. I felt my mouth get watery just through all the smells that now plagued my senses.

Gideon suddenly laughed.

"Hahaha! You should see your face!" he said smiling. "Never been inside my store I guess" I nodded. "Welcome to Gideon pies then." He approached and started to wrap an arm around my back, probably to lead me to the front, nothing bad.

My body, however, didn't think the same.

"What the!" I suddenly shouted as I felt my whole body react as I've never reacted before. I swear I was on the other side of the room in less than a second, my breathing way over the line. I slowly hugged myself as I felt another panic attack. Why! I've never been like this to somebody's touch!

Gideon rushed to my side as I collapsed.

"Oh! Darn… I…. I am so sorry!" he exclaimed. "Just… b-breath slowly, relax…" he began to say. Again, I started to calm down. It wasn't long before I had finally stopped hyperventilating and was only shaking a little. Gideon looked like if he was about to help me up, but stopped himself. I guess that was something good. I didn't want to have another attack seconds after I'd partially recovered fr m one.

I slowly stood up, unsure if I should look at him or anywhere else. Gideon seemed unsure of what to do too.

"Michael, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean…" I lifted my paw to stop him.

"Don't worry!" I said looking at him, smiling slightly. "I know you didn't mean it, just…" in sgihed. "I'm not good with… contact." That wasn't a lie at all. When would I be free of this curse?!

He nodded and looked at the front of the store.

"So… you want to start your tour on my store?"

Night fell, and as the sun began to set on the plains of bunnyburrow and the natural light turned into a crimson yellow and then a beautiful orange, the small town center began to close. The stores and iconic restaurants began to close and lock, soon the street becoming emptier and emptier every passing minute.

I sat on a chair inside Gideon's store, watching as mammals of all shapes and sizes entered the store. It had become a rather challenging duty to simply sit and watch, mostly due to the fact that I almost panicked at the sight of a rather menacing lion that looked terribly menacing and a wolf that decided to be friendly and greeted me.

Apart from those two, the rest seemed to pass by me and I wouldn't notice much (partly due to they not caring about my prescience and due to me not wanting to attract the unwanted attention that could trigger my attacks.

In short, my day had been very unimpressive. I did got to see how Gideon dealt with customers, and it just kept adding to my admiration towards him. I was very surprised about how he handled himself around his buyers. They'd usually arrive and start looking around for something that would catch their eye. Gideon would help them in deciding with a really kind and patient attitude, and so the buyer usually left happy. I also noticed that most of his clients seemed to know him very well, which would add that he had managed to get loyal clients.

I also noticed that some seemed to enter slightly unsure, and at the sight of Gideon greeting then they turned around and left. I wasn't sure why that happened, but Gideon simply sighed and awaited the next to arrive.

I met TONS of bunnies. I mean, I know it's probably not called bunnyburrow for nothing! Still, I'm fairly certain that ninety or so percent of every animal that entered the store was a rabbit.

This proved to be an advantage, since I had less panic towards them than, say, a polar bear or a lion.

The last customer left the store, saying good night to Gideon and then spotted me and smiled before heading out. Gideon groaned as he stretched and approached the door, locking it various times. He then looked at me.

"Help me by pushing that button behind you," he said tiredly. I looked behind and sure enough spotted a switch. I clicked it and metal bars descended behind the windows and door. I looked confusedly at Gideon. He shrugged. "Never hurts to be prepared." He walked to the back. "Come, let's get going." I jumped off the bench I was sitting in and followed him. We went outside through the back door, with Gideon closing various locks for the door.

The journey back was boring, although I was coming to enjoy the company of the fox, he was obviously tired after a day's work, and it was obvious by the constant yawns he made.

"Am' sorry," he said after yawning for the hundredth time.

I chuckled. "Don't worry," I said. "Where are we going now?"

He smiled. "There's a place I think ya'll like." I rose my eyebrow in interest. "It's a restaurant ran by a fox friend of mine." He looked at me briefly before turning back towards the road. "Okay?"

I was a little confused, but nodded. "If you want to, sure…" I felt a little uncomfortable all of a sudden.

"Great!" he exclaimed. The rest of the ride

I smiled. "So… we're heading back to you house?"

"Yeah, and for a good night's sleep." He turned the car right and into his yard, stopping the car.

As he left the car, I started to wonder: What now?

Yes, I was being heavily helped, but I couldn't possibly abuse of him like this! He was far too… good to be true.

He turned to the car when he noticed I wasn't getting down.

"Is something wrong?" he asked confisedly. I smiled tiredly.

"No!" I hopped off the car and walk to him. "In fact, I feel better than I have in a while." He needed to know this was actually very amazing! For him to help me like this was the best thing somebody has done for me. Well, apart from my parents of course.

He smiled. "That's good to hear." After that an awkward silence followed. I wanted to say something, but I wasn't sure what to say; he seemed to be on the same predicament.

He chuckled. "Well, let's get inside."

Both of us walked through the door, the older fox closing it behind him. I looked around as more realizations seemed to dawn on me.

I was never going to see my parents, or my friends. I needed to find a way back home…

Gideon seemed to notice this and looked concerned again. "Do ya need somethin'?" He asked me. I shook my head. How could he know I wasn't feeling okay? He sighed. "Your ears, the're down. What's wrong?"

I couldn't help but to touch them. I could feel they were down, but I confirmed that by feeling them. This would prove to be a problem…

"I, eh… I…" I seemed to be having problems talking now. I seemed to want to tell him everything! I also wanted to be cautious. I could invent a story that could explain to him in more credible ways what happened to me, or I could just flat out lie. I didn't feel like I could lie to him, he was just… so good with me so far. Taking in a stranger? Trusting him after he tried to steal from you?

I could tell him the truth, I just didn't think he'd believe me or not think I was mad or something.

"I… I don't know what's gonna happen…" i said slowly and almost in a whisper. This was hard to say! "I just… I don't feel it right to get all this help after I… after I stole you something." I slowly leaned against the wall and looked to the floor. I felt wrong for not saying what I was really feeling, but I just couldn't. He wouldn't believe me either way. "Maybe I should just go."

Gideon approached me. I wasn't looking, but all my fox senses allowed me to feel him closer. He stopped a few feet away.

"You are free to do what you wish," he bluntly stated. I lowered even more my ears unconsciously, the feeling of them still making me kind of weirded out. "However…" he said as he placed his hands on my shoulders and made me look at him. "You're more than welcome to stay for as long as you want to." He smiled faintly. I saw his face seemed a little sad for some reason. "It'd be nice to have the company." He slowly left deeper inside the house, leaving me unsure of what to do. I slowly turned, feeling my tail brushing against the tight walls of the entrance hallway. I opened the door and stepped outside.

Think. I needed time to think.

I closed the door behind me and looked outside. The dark night seemed to welcome me as my fur made me oblivious to any cold that I would've felt as a human. I placed my hands inside my pockets and walked down the entrance steps and into the front porch. Gideon's car was parked there and the street seemed to be completely lacking of cars. I kept walking until I had crossed the street, and then kept on walking forward into the fields. My tail brushed against the still growing crops, making me tickle a little.

I raised my tail to stop it.

After a while I stopped. I'd reached the end of the field and was now in front of a large house. In it I spotted inside it a family of rabbits. They seemed to be more than I could count, and their smiles as they are made me smile sadly at their happiness.

I wasn't pitying myself, definitely no.

My legs suddenly gave away, my body falling on my knees. I was tired and my emotional stress seemed to finally catch up with me. I knew I was strong in my emotional and psychological sides, however, even I cwhen ups cope with what was happening.

I'd lost my family.

I'd lost my friends.

I'd lost my life…

I collapsed on the wet grass and got my cheeks to get wet as tears started coming out of my eyes.

This was too much for someone to handle, and I couldn't take it anymore. I started walking away until I spotted a treehouse. It was already dark and although I had my hair to protect me from the cold, the wind proved to be getting stronger and rather bothersome. I decided to enter the rather small-looking treehouse and just sit beside the door with my head between my arms.

The house itself was very simple both inside and outside. It has 3 windows, one back and two to the sides. There was no door.

I couldn't feel more miserable.

The suden crack of a stick made my ears shot upwards and listen to my surroundings. Still, it was more of a subconscious thing and my current state made me completely ignore my fox senses. I just wanted to die then and there. Maybe fate would be good with me and it was going to be quick and painless.

There was a silent gasp followed by a girl talking. "Are… are you alright mister?" I heard a voice shyly speak beside me. She sounded very young, and I guessed by her smell that she was a rabbit, obviously from the house close by. The rabbit entered the house. I still didn't lift my head.

I slowly wiped my tears with my arm. She couldn't be older than ten. By her voice I'd place at around ten years old.

"I guess," I answered weakly. She didn't say anything for a while. Maybe she'd go and tell her parents about me or just simply go away.

"You sound sad," she stated matter of factly. Her statement made me chuckle and smile slightly between tears. I was actually surprised she hadn't left.

I sighed. "I may be a little down, I guess." The bunny sat down close by. Now I needed to look at her. Why wasn't she just leaving? Shouldn't she not be scared of me? Or at least weary of strangers? "Uh… hi?" I said slowly as I looked at her.

She smiled brightly. "My name is Katy, Katy Hopps!" she said in a very cute manner, closing her eyes as she said it, her ears raised. "And you?" she said as she finished getting more comfortable.

I chuckled. "Michael." Kids always made me feel happy for some reason. I was surprised that somehow, this was working with an animal as well. Maybe my panic was diminishing every second I spent in this world. "Why aren't you scared of me?" I asked bluntly. I really needed to know why she wasn't just getting her parents who'd in turn get the police or something.

"You look sad, and my big sister says to help those that seek that we can help in some way so…" she jumped and landed on her feet in a rather comical manner. "I'm trying to cheer you up!"

I chuckled and smiled faintly. "Thank you." I had started to forget how I felt. That bunny was doing a good job.

"You're from close by?" she asked. "I know a fox. He's very nice! Although they say that he was scary before but now is a good mammal. Gideon Grey?" she said.

"Yes," I answered. "I know Gideon."

"Cool!" she said smiling. "He has a pie store. You may like them! He makes te nicest and tastiest pues in town and I can bet that even in zootopia they don't make better pies!" Her excitement made me smile genuinely. She was just so cute! Also, her rambling about anything just added to the charm. "I wanted to be a baker, but mom and dad said that I should be a carrot farmer. My sister told me to do whatever I wanted to though, so I want to ask Gideon to teach me."

"That sounds nice," I said. "You're probably gonna be an amazing baker Katy."

She smiled and seemed to get really happy. "Thanks!" She looked outside suddenly. "Oh… it's rather late and mom and da' are gonna find out I sneaked out. Bye Michael!" She rushed outside disappearing from sight all of a sudden.

Well, this had been random.

"Do whatever you want," I repeated. Her sister seemed like a great per… err… mammal. Maybe I should follow her advice and do whatever I wanted to do. I knew I couldn't go back to earth for the time being. Whatever had happened was just unexplainable. I guessed it was imposible to find out what happened, or at least find it on my own.

So what did I wanted to do? Did I wanted to just roam aimlessly through that strange world or what?

Gideon came to mind as I slowly stood up and headed out of the treehouse. I was very lucky, and I wasn't about to go wasting my best shot at living through this. Gideon had offered me help, and I was going to take it.

The way back was almost nothing with my resolve to fit in on this new world. I wasn't giving up on going back to earth and my new life, I just wanted to establish myself before doing anything that could've ruined me more.

And so I stood in front of Gideon's door. I was about to knock when Gideon opened the door. My hand was almost on his face, so thankfully I rapidly retrieved it. He looked down on me and smiled warmly. I felt my ears drop again as my sadness returned, only that this time I knew i wasn't alone. I felt tears coming out as Gideon slowly wrapped me in a hug. My initial reaction was to pull off, my panic returning. However, I fought my urge and managed to calm down a panic attack. After a few seconds of internal fighting, I hugged him back, tightly. I cried as I threw all my problems with it. After a few minutes, I finally had stopped crying and was now more calm. Gideon slowly pulled off from the hug and smiled at me. I smiled back, feeling warm inside. He moved aside and gestured me to go inside.

"Dinner's ready," he said smiling. I stepped inside as he closed the door and we went to the kitchen.

I was going to do my best to fit in and to make my life easier from now on...


End file.
